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Batman’s Christopher Nolan returns to Slamdance filmfest, where his first feature premiered

One of Hollywood’s biggest success stories visits Park City, Utah, to talk about his success, and how Brad Pitt once turned him down.

Director Christopher Nolan, seen arriving at the premiere of Inception in Los Angeles in 2010, returned to the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Saturday to receive an award. He talked about his success and urged young filmmakers to be prepared to do everything themselves. (Chris Pizzello / The Associated Press file photo)

PARK CITY, UTAH—Batman Trilogy director Christopher Nolan, one of Hollywood’s biggest success stories, returned Saturday to the tiny hotel screening room where it all began for him.

The British filmmaker behind the multi-billion-dollar Batman franchise and also Inception, another global hit, was at the Slamdance Film Festival to receive the newly created Slamdance Founder’s Award, recognizing both his astounding 15-year-climb to the top and the fest’s 20th anniversary.

It was at the 1999 edition of the then-fledgling Slamdance, an upstart rival to the bigger Sundance Film Festival further down Main St., that Nolan premiered his first feature, Following, a mystery thriller he shot on weekends with friends for the equivalent of $6,000 (U.S.).

He screened it in the makeshift movie theatre off the hotel lobby that Slamdance uses inside its headquarters at the rustic Treasure Mountain Inn.

It’s an extremely cramped space with an official seating capacity of 140 people, although it looked as if at least a couple of dozen more were wedged in to see Nolan receive his award, which is shaped like a small movie camera sprouting wings.

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“It seems an incredibly long time since I was here last . . . but it feels like only yesterday,” said Nolan, 43,

“And for those of you wondering, this room hasn’t changed in the slightest!”

Nolan said he was thrilled to receive honours handed to him by Slamdance co-founder Peter Baxter, because the festival continues to support many independent and first-time filmmakers.

“It’s a true community of filmmakers and that’s a thing that’s much more rare than you’d expect to be in the world, frankly.”

The recognition from Slamdance in 1999 gave Nolan the leg up he needed to secure the money to make and distribute his next film, Memento, a mind-puzzler about a man with a failing memory, played by Guy Pearce, who is trying to find out who raped and murdered his wife.

Memento screened at Sundance in 2000 and went on to become a cult hit.

The Batman Trilogy — Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises — followed in the years after that, along with Inception and other noteworthy films.

Dressed as usual in a business suit and open-necked dress shirt, Nolan used the occasion to give some advice to the many rookie filmmakers in the room who were hanging onto his every word.

“What Slamdance teaches you is that whilst it’s wonderful to have a great community around you of filmmakers, you have to be prepared to do everything yourself…

“The truth is, you have to be prepared to carry the flag for a film when nobody else will. If you’re not prepared to do that, then nobody else will bother.”

Taking questions from the audience, Nolan put to rest the long-floated rumour that Memento was originally supposed to star Brad Pitt instead of Pearce, but Nolan had turned the superstar down.

“He turned me down!” Nolan said, as the room erupted in laughter.

“He did read the script and he met with me about it when he didn’t have any reason to know who I was or anything about it.”

Pitt ultimately decided the role wasn’t for him.

Added Nolan: “I have no idea how he read (the script), because I didn’t send it to him.”

The session had a surreal moment when a female audience member dressed in full Wonder Woman regalia started peppering Nolan with questions about the casting of actors for superheroes, apparently offering herself for a future film. A baffled Nolan politely moved to another questioner.

Slamdance’s Baxter said he can’t believe that nobody had noticed Nolan’s filmmaking talent before he came to Park City in 1999.

“It seemed so obvious to me that here was a great new filmmaking voice who was going to advance storytelling and film production, and other Slamdance programmers agreed!”

Slamdance continues to run through Jan. 23, while the considerably larger Sundance continues through Jan. 26.

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